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Abbai Matriarchate
The Abbai Matriarchate is the governing body of the Abbai, based on Abba IV (known also as Ssumssha.) Government As a matriarchy, Abbai women hold all positions of power and are ruled by their "Natar" (roughly translates as Empress-Mother) who is in turn advised by a governing body called the "Marti", which is composed of some two hundred Abbai women who are elected from the general populace every three Ssumssha years. This form of governance has lasted on Ssumssha for over four thousand years. The Matriarchate withdrew from galactic affairs somewhat in 2261 after their homeworld was hit hard during the Shadow War. In addition, a bout of harsh weather on Abba IV lead to crop shortages. In late January 2262, the Abbai Matriarchate agreed to join the new Interstellar Alliance if they can be guaranteed food shipments during winter months. ISA President Sheridan and the ISA advisory board arranged for surplus food shipments to be sent from a pak'ma'ra agricultural colony just a few jumps from the Abba System.The Paragon of Animals Once in the Alliance three Abbai chose to join the Anla'Shok who were among the first group of non-Minbari or humans to be trained as Rangers.Learning Curve Technology The Abbai are a very technologically adept civilisation and have possessed the capability for interstellar travel for over eight hundred years. They however specialise in agriculture, medicine, communication systems and computer software. Military Though they are a peaceful race who do not believe in conquest or violent expansion, they are by no means total pacifists and are quite capable of defending themselves. Most of their weapons are designed around non-lethal but formidable reactive force. Their ships and planetary defences are capable of generating massive force shields, capable of withstanding most assaults. They are also proficient and electronic warfare, intercepting and jamming enemy communications. The bulk of the Abbai Matriarchate's defence strategy however lies in their good relations with other worlds and their numerous interplanetary alliances from which they can muster a defender in case of attack or if necessary hire other races as mercenaries. As such It is rare for a race to attack the Abbai and even rarer to see an Abbai ship fighting outside their star system, prior to the Second Shadow War the last time Abbai ships participated in an outside battle was in 2231, during the Dilgar War. In early 2230, the Dilgar attacked and conquered the Abbai Tavita colony. It's thought that the Dilgar had hoped to learn how the Abbai Force shield worked. It's not generally known what the Dilgar did to the Abbai colonists but given their track record it's not surprising that it was enough to shock even the Abbai into joining the other non-aligned worlds in fighting the Dilgar. Natar Yrisha, who had been elevated to Natar the previous year, was quoted as saying, "I cannot stand by and watch the Dilgar commit atrocities." Once the Dilgar were repelled from the occupied territories among the Non-Aligned Worlds, however, the Abbai forces were ordered to return home. When Natar announced the withdrawal of Abbai ships, she said, "…Just as the Abbai could not allow the Dilgar to kill and torture our allies, we cannot now be party to a war of revenge. Not even against those same Dilgar." Thirty Earth years later Abba IV was badly hit during the Shadow War and many of its people living away from the homeworld decided to return to help with the rebuilding effort and as a result they no longer had the presence they once did in many parts of know space, including on Babylon 5 and a rare sight away from their home system for several years after the conflict. Despite this, the Abbai were among the first to send recruits to Minbar when membership in the Anla'Shok was opened to races other than Humans and Minbari.Learning Curve Colonies * Abba III: Also known as Tavita, the third planet in their system, it's the only world colonised by the Abbai, although they have extensive orbital construction and factory facilities in orbit of the gas giants Abba VII and Abba VIII. References Other Sources * The Official Guide to Babylon 5 (CD ROM) Category:Interstellar Alliance Category:League of Non-Aligned Worlds